If you believe that you may have Rosacea, the first thing to
do is to see your dermatologist. Many of the
symptoms of Rosacea could be the result of other
ailments. As always when dealing with this sort of
situation, professional advice should be
your first course of action.

If you have been diagnosed with Rosacea you need to know that
there is currently no cure. In fact, the cause of Rosacea
is still somewhat of a mystery. Having said this however,
the good news is that there are many things that can be
done to bring the disease under control and minimize the symptoms and
also to prevent the disease from progressing further. In general, the
treatment is aimed at the control of redness, inflammation, and skin eruptions. Treatment is necessary to prevent
permanent damage.

In most cases,
once a diagnosis of Rosacea has been made a dermatologist
will prescribed a combination of oral antibiotics and the
use of antibiotic gel as initial treatment. The oral
antibiotics will bring the condition under control
(reducing redness and the formation of papules and
pustules), then the topical treatments will be used to
keep the symptoms under control. In all cases the
dermatologist should help to determine the relevant lifestyle
factors which may need modification to keep
flushing/blushing from occurring.

Long term use of
Oral Antibiotics is not recommended due to a number of
side effects which may occur including sun sensitivity and
upset stomach.

A couple of important notes:

- It may take several weeks or more to see any improvement
in the condition

- Since Rosacea cannot be cured it will often be necessary
to continue with topical treatment (and modification of lifestyle
factors) even after symptoms have been
reduced or have disappeared. Your dermatologist will
make a recommendation based on your particular
situation.

It is important to control the flushing & blushing
aspects of Rosacea to help prevent the Rosacea from becoming
worse. This can be accomplished through various forms of
treatment described below as well through lifestyle
adjustments.

Oral antibiotics used in rosacea treatment are
tetracycline; Minocin®/minocycline; erythromicin

An alternative is a medication which is similar to
Vitamin A called Isotretinoin
(sold under the brand names of Accutane or
Roaccutane) that is
sometimes effective against severe papopustular rosacea. According to the Rosacea
FAQ (see below) It works by inhibiting sebaceous gland function and physically shrinking the glands and,
since it has potent anti-inflammatory properties, it is ideal to treat resistant
rosacea. [Note
that Isotretinoin is not to be taken by women who
are, or may become pregnant due to the risk of birth
defects.]

Metronidazole - In 1989 metronidazole was approved as the
first topical treatment specifically for rosacea. It can help to
reduce rosacea flare-ups once the rosacea is brought under control. In North
America Metronidazole is sold under various brand names including Metrogel
(and Metrolotion & Metrocream, all 3 contain .75% metronidazole
and are manufacturered by Galderma Laboratories, Inc.) and
Noritate (1% metronidazole cream). In Australia and New Zealand the
equivalent of Metrogel is called Rozex. Metrocream,
Metrolotion and Noritate are not available in
Australia.

Rosacea-LTD III™
- The company's website says that almost all users of Rosacea-LTD III notice a substantial
change within 40 days. The product contains zinc oxide, manganesium
sterate, sodium
chloride, iron oxide, polyethylene glycol, and sulfur. It may be ordered directly from the website.

Azelaic
Acid, a treatment sometimes used for acne,
has been shown to be effective in treating
papules & pustules.